Are we leading with our school communities, or imposing leadership upon them?
In this episode of An Imperfect Leader, I sit down with Melanie Vrba, Director of the International School of Tanganyika (IST) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Together, we explore what it truly takes to build connection, cultivate student agency, and navigate the messy, human reality of school leadership.
Two take aways from our conversation:
1️⃣ Student Agency & Co-Creating School Experiences: School shouldn’t be something administrators do to kids, it should be something experienced together. Whether it’s a second-grader designing a “Library Treehouse” that inspired the actual blueprint for a new campus building or students training alongside teachers in systems thinking for sustainability, authentic student voice shapes school culture.
2️⃣ Grace, Accountability, and Intention vs. Impact: Even with positive intentions, leaders make missteps. Leadership maturity means owning errors, apologizing for unintended harm, and committing to personal growth. When leaders extend and receive grace, trust and institutional resilience follow.
Check out the episode here or wherever you listen to your podcasts!
🐾 P.S. Question for Melanie Vrba: We have to ask… did you ever find out what the fourth-graders officially named the kitten in Ms. Maggie’s office? Listeners (and I!) are eagerly waiting for the update!
#EducationalLeadership #AnImperfectLeader #StudentVoice #InternationalEducation #SchoolCulture #StudentAgency #GraceAndGrowth #ListeningLeader #K12Leadership
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Follow Host Peter Stiepleman on: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-stiepleman-76004819a/ Website: https://imperfectleader.com/
Follow Co-host Jamie Almanzán on:
Connect with APC Leadership Collaborative for support in navigating complex leadership situations: https://www.apccollab.com
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An Imperfect Leader is sponsored by IXL. Boost learning with a platform proven to deliver results. IXL gives educators a complete K–12 curriculum and personalized learning plans that adapt to every student.
Trusted by over 1 million teachers and 96 of the top 100 school districts, IXL helps schools outperform on state tests, and helps teachers focus on what matters most.
IXL: Powerful data. Personalized learning. Real progress.
Discover what IXL can do for your school at IXL.com/imperfect
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The Mosaic Project, one of our favorite organizations, has over 25 years of experience empowering students to celebrate differences, communicate assertively, and resolve conflicts peacefully at their outdoor school. Their innovative SEL curriculum is now available to An Imperfect Leader listeners at a 10% discount through their new documentary film-based Mosaic Classroom Project!
The Project’s ready-to-use lesson plans include film, original music, “gametivities”, and real conversations. We’re proud to partner with The Mosaic Project in helping educators build inclusive, peaceful learning communities! Just mention An Imperfect Leader during the onboarding process to receive the 10% discount.
Learn more about The Mosaic Classroom Project.
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Think differently. Think in systems. Reach out to The Waters Center for Systems Thinking to learn more about how systems thinking capacity building can strengthen your team and organization.
Homepage: http://www.waterscenterst.org
Thinking Tools Studio: https://thinkingtoolsstudio.waterscenterst.org
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An Imperfect Leader: Leadership in (After) Action is supported by ILAA, LLC, a firm dedicated to supporting aspiring, new, and established leaders. For more information, please find them at imperfectleader.com.
Music for An Imperfect Leader was written and arranged by Ian Varley.
Sam Falbo created our artwork, a wood-print inspired daruma doll butterfly.